Real Food Encyclopedia | Shrimp

When it comes to seafood, it’s clear that people in America prefer shrimp. The average person in the United States eats four pounds of shrimp a year, far above salmon which comes in second place at the 2-pound-mark. The shrimp industry is huge and has a myriad of issues — including human rights abuses and slavery — which means it’s very important to buy shrimp from a source you can trust. Read on to learn what to look for when buying shrimp.

What to Look for When Buying Shrimp

Most shrimp available for eating in the US are decapods, meaning ten-legged. They’ve got a soft exoskeleton that is easily peeled away, and a head that is easily popped off (and sucked out, if you’re so inclined). The flavor of shrimp varies by where they were caught or raised. As most farm-raised shrimp have little variation in their diets, their flavor is more consistent. But the flavor (and color) of wild-caught shrimp varies depending on how much iodine is in their body and based on what they eat. Most of us think of shrimp as pink, but there are white, brown, red, gray and striped types.

Size

Shrimp come in all different sizes — from the diminutive bay shrimp to giant prawns. But here’s the deal: you can pretty much ignore sizing designations like “jumbo” and “large” — they vary from store to store and are completely unregulated. Instead, good fishmongers label shrimp with a set of numbers, like 31/35, 43/50 or sometimes even U/10. These numbers refer to the amount of shrimp in a pound — so in the first example, you’ll get between 31 and 35 shrimp per pound, and in the last example, under 10 shrimp per pound.

Fresh vs. Frozen

It is very rare to find fresh shrimp that has never been frozen — even the “fresh” shrimp at many seafood counters are simply defrosted. If you belong to a community-supported fishery (CSF) or have access to a fishmonger you trust, you are very lucky — you may be able to find fresh, never frozen shrimp. (Be sure to ask how long they have been sitting on ice!) For the rest of us, frozen shrimp may be the best bet, because the crustaceans are often frozen just after harvest. These days, individually quick frozen (IQF) shrimp are easy to find, making thawing the shellfish much easier. Both fresh and frozen shrimp may have been treated with sodium tripolyphosphate (STP), a preservative, which can negatively affect the texture and flavor of your shrimp. If buying from a store, ask your fishmonger if the shrimp you are buying have been treated with STP. Frozen shrimp should have the preservative listed on the label, if used.

Unclean pond environments and crowding, coupled with the fact that most farms raise only one or two species of shrimp, means that disease is frequent. In some aquaculture operations, antibiotics and other chemicals may be used to combat these problems. Although antibiotics are technically prohibited for shrimp raised for the US market, they are still used in some operations, which is dangerous, in part, because the use of them could lead to antibiotic resistance.

Shrimp Seasonality

In the US, wild brown shrimp have a peak season from May through October, while wild white shrimp are caught mostly between September and January.

Shrimp Cultivation

The term “shrimp” usually refers to crustaceans in the order Decapoda, although other shrimp-like animals may be called by that term (or by the word “prawn,” especially in England). They can be caught in the wild or farmed. According to Jack and Anne Rudloe, authors of the book “Shrimp: the Endless Quest for Pink Gold,” over 70 percent of the shrimp on the market were farmed.

Eating Shrimp

Storing Fresh Shrimp

Both Harold McGee and Jack and Anne Rudloe note that fresh shrimp can be kept for quite a while — McGee says for up to two weeks without spoiling, and the Rudloes note that the older the shrimp, the more deliciously “shrimpy” they will taste. (They liken this to dry-aging meat.) Head-on shrimp are far more perishable, however — although they are much harder to find in the US. Shrimp can be safely kept frozen for months.

Shrimp are delicious steamed, barbecued, boiled, fried, poached, sautéed and baked. They are eaten raw in sushi, and sometimes even alive — although the ethics of this has been questioned. A great way to eat shrimp is a simple shrimp boil with a lot of Old Bay seasoning, beer and lemon: just bring a large pot of water to the boil, add 2 bottles of beer (lager is good), lemon slices and a few heaping tablespoons (or more) of Old Bay. Add the shrimp, shells on and de-veined, and cook until they are done — about 5 minutes, depending on the size of the shrimp. Peel and eat. Try making salt-baked shrimp — an easy, delicious way to cook the little crustaceans. Shrimp pair beautifully with citrus, chiles, fresh herbs, tomatoes, corn and corn meal (as in shrimp and grits) garlic and other alliums, beans and bacon.

Shrimp Nutrition

Shrimp are an excellent source of low-fat protein. The little crustaceans are high in Vitamin B12, iron, phosphorus and especially selenium, a nutrient important in reproduction, thyroid function and protecting the body from infection. They’re also a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids. The perceived nutritional downside to shrimp is the amount of cholesterol they have — just four large shrimp accounts for about 14 percent of your daily cholesterol intake. However, the US Government’s revised 2015 Dietary Guidelines removed their recommendations on restricting dietary cholesterol, noting that, for most Americans, diet has little effect on cholesterol levels. Good news for shrimp lovers. Shrimp and other crustaceans are one of the most common, and most dangerous, food allergens. They also most frequently develop in adulthood.